


Sparkling water and blinding lights

by Anonymous



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Astraphobia, Best Friends, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Male Friendship, Panic Attacks, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Sharing a Bed, Short & Sweet, Sleepovers, bros being bros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:01:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29722473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Tora hated that fear of his, he had concealed it for years because nobody had to know that thunder made him restless, that howling wind sped up his heartbeat, that lightning could even make him cry if it wasn't the right night."Get the light, I'm fine." He gruffly asked, forcing himself to relax in the borrowed blankets.Or; Tora stays the night at Fukunaga's, but there's a thunderstorm outside. Bros being bros, y'know?
Relationships: Fukunaga Shouhei & Yamamoto Taketora
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11
Collections: Anonymous





	Sparkling water and blinding lights

**Author's Note:**

> I'll call this: try to fit as many bl tropes in a ficlet but let them remain completely platonic

Tora knew that Fukunaga was just trying to help, but that… _that_ was too much! He wasn't a child anymore! He was eighteen now, and he was perfectly capable of handling these kinds of situations alone.

"No bro, we're not." He politely refused his friend's offer, huffing and turning away from Fukunaga's gaze.

As always, his friend didn't make a sound. There was the softest click to turn off the lamp, then Fukunaga's sheets rustled plenty before he found a comfortable position and settled -  
And then, only the pouring rain to keep them company.

It was a matter of focusing on the gentle sounds of the rain: it turned peaceful, calm, perfect for his heart to slow down, and he could do it, he could manage it even if away from home. "Get the light, I'm fine." He gruffly asked, forcing himself to relax in the borrowed blankets.

  
  


It wasn't the first time that Tora stopped at Fukunaga's to study: his friend was really patient when it came to explaining math, and studying in an empty house made wonders for Tora's feeble concentration. They had a test the following morning so of course, Tora also stayed for dinner to revise a bit more; an activity he despised with passion, but that he desperately needed if he wanted to get a passing mark. 

With his brain so fried from formulas and scary numbers, Tora usually fell asleep like a baby the moment Fukunaga rolled out a futon for him.

But that night, he couldn't -

_There was a thunderstorm._

Tora hated that fear of his, he had concealed it for years because nobody had to know that thunder made him restless, that howling wind sped up his heartbeat, that lightning could even make him cry if it wasn't the right night. Noise cancelling headphones usually helped but he had left them at home, so he resorted to his old "head under the pillow method"... And obviously, it did not work.

Frustration had a big part in feeding his nervousness: it was past midnight already and he had yet to fall asleep. What if he just didn't?! He needed every minute for that math test, and the damned wind wouldn't stop whistling.

The blinds trembled with a loud shake and Tora jumped with them, gripping the blankets with tensed fingers. When was it going to end? He buried his nose in the sheets and shut his eyes, suddenly aware of a distant rumble that crept in the atmosphere: a thunder, booming elsewhere but still too close.

A bright flash made him jolt. Three, four, five, six - Tora counted the seconds before another loud rumble. The storm was once again getting closer and frantic.

He stole a glance around the room to find it perfectly still. He couldn't see Fukunaga from his position on the floor, but the arm dangling from the mattress told him that his friend was sleeping. Tora desperately tried to follow Fukunaga's slow breathing, to pick up where an exhale ended and the other followed, and just when it seemed to work, the loudest sound shook the air:  
it was a mighty **crack** . The walls painted white as if the sun was up and the floor trembled, the mightiest thunder reverberating _inside_ the house.

Tora was paralyzed.

He didn't realize that he wasn't breathing anymore until Fukunaga's clammy hand patted his cheek, reminding him that his lungs had an use. "Tora?" His friend called, that sleep-laced voice suddenly alarmed. The black haired boy switched on the lamp and tumbled down on Tora's futon. "I'm here." He calmly said, easing him out of the blanket to relieve the pressure on his chest, "Do you need help with breathing?"

Tora stared up at him in shock. As much as he wanted to joke about the unusual amount of words that Fukunaga was gifting him, his shallow breathing prevented the boy from speaking. It was as if air was escaping him: it avoided his nostrils, coming in in short bursts that weren't nearly enough to fill his chest. Tora sat on the futon and held a hand over his neck, but if there wasn't anything pressing on it, then why was he feeling like that? Why couldn't he breathe?!

Fukunaga said something else, but Tora did not hear him. He could not hear the howling wind nor the thunder when his ears were so filled by the loud beating of his heart. Was it going to burst? Did that lightning find its way into him? Tora's eyes clouded in panic. The only thing that still tied him to the world was Fukunaga's warm hold: one slender arm was wrapped around his shoulder while the other hand rested splayed on his thigh. His fingers went up and down slowly, as if they wanted to be noticed, building up a silent pattern that Tora found himself following before he could notice.

When the hand travelled upwards, he would inhale.

When downwards, exhale.

"There, there." Were the first words Tora was able to hear again. "I saw it. It hit in the courtyard." Fukunaga was still talking about the lightning, it seemed.

Tora turned in his direction. "I'm sorry," he sighed, "I don't know what's going on-" He was interrupted by a finger booping his nose, certainly shutting him up from the surprise.

"Breathe more, then you'll talk." Fukunaga smiled, "You're just scared. It's fine."

 _It's fine,_ he said, and Tora needed to believe him. No matter the almost out of body experience, his friend was there to hold him, supporting his weight in such a caring way that Tora forgot just how heavy he was for a moment. "Sorry," he apologized again, this time straightening his back to ease Fukunaga of that strain, "I need to drink something…" Tora turned with a sluggish motion and grabbed the first bottle he found, quickly bringing the rim to his lips and almost choking on it when he saw Fukunaga's face.

The bubbles fizzing in Tora's throat made themselves be felt with vengeance: that was sparkling water. _His friend's._

"Fuck, sorry, it's a disaster after the other-" Tora hurried to apologize, "It's dark and they're the same colour and-" 

Another boop shushed him. Fukunaga was still there, not a single judgemental look, smiling at him.

"Bro…" Tora's eyes shined in the dim light and he looked down at the bottle: after all, it wasn't the first time they shared one by mistake. Fukunaga was quiet enough that you wouldn't notice his presence, but when you searched for him, he would be right at your side. He always did so much for Tora, even breaking character and using actual words to explain math, even cooking for him or listening to his rambling about girls and now… and now he talked him out of panic, and…

Tora _launched_ at Fukunaga to hug him tight, getting a gasp out of the poor boy. "I don't know what I would do without you." He said, warm hands going up and down his friend's back, "Thank you…"

Fukunaga remained still for a moment, then he timidly returned the hug. They sat there in silence, body warmth melting into the other until Tora pulled back to hold his friend by the shoulders. "You won't tell that to anyone, right?" He pleaded.

Fukunaga shook his head and zipped up his lips.

"Thank God, I couldn't survive with Kenma know-"

Another flash, another crack.

Tora's body moved on its own. Only when the light from outside faded and the two were left in the soft company of the lamp, the boy realized exactly what happened: his muscular legs were wrapped around the leaner waist of Fukunaga, leaving him straddling his friend’s hips to snugly sit in his lap.

Fright didn’t give Tora enough rest to feel embarrassed.

"Heavy cat." Fukunaga chuckled to himself, bringing one hand down to pat the underside of Tora's trembling thigh. "Tigers don't kill the ones who feed them... Usually?"

His friend’s shirt smelled of strawberry toothpaste as Tora pressed his lips on it, fearing that he could spit his heart out at the next thunder. It was difficult to understand if Fukunaga slowed his breathing on purpose or not; Tora closed his eyes and followed his lead without asking questions.

“So… About the thing you suggested earlier…” He mumbled softly, hoping that his friend would catch on.

Fukunaga bumped the back of his head against the side of the bed, a silent question - _‘on my bed?’_

“I mean...” Tora raised his eyes to gaze at the fluffy blankets balled on the mattress: the display looked so comfortable that it was easy for his eyelids to feel heavy again. “It's not a problem for you? Really?”

“Not for me, the mattress is large enough and we’re not fish.”

“Fish...?”

"Fish," Tora couldn’t see his friend’s face in that position, but the smile was audible in Fukunaga’s words, “we don’t have to sleep on the river bed.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading (◐ω◑) leave feedback if you'd like, I'd appreciate it very much :3  
> do you have other "bro" prompts? I might write ficlets of them ✌(-‿-)✌ male friendships need more cuddles.


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